Accountant vs. financial advisor career: What’s the difference?

If you’re working on a degree in finance or accounting, you know that your career options are endless. So how do you choose? 

Learn more about an accountant vs financial advisor career to help you decide the next best step for you. 

Get your free guide to the CPA Exam

Download now

What is a financial advisor? 

Financial advisors are trusted consultants who help their clients create financial plans according to their situations and goals. Their services may range from personal financial and retirement planning to portfolio management and investment advisory for large firms. 

Financial advisors are also tax experts who help their clients make wise and compliant tax decisions, including estate management and insurance considerations. Whether personal or corporate advisors, they are skilled at relating with people and listening to understand their clients’ financial goals, strategizing to delineate the path toward achieving them. 

Common tasks for a financial advisor career include:¹ 

• Client meetings
• Portfolio management
• Budgeting
• Debt management
• Retirement and estate planning
• Tax efficiency strategizing 
   

How to build a financial advisor career 

Your financial advisor career starts with solidifying the basics of finance and business management, likely through a degree in finance or accounting. 

You can then grow your financial advisor career by earning credentials that demonstrate deeper understanding and advanced skillsets, and gain credibility with potential clients and employers. These are a few of the valuable certifications and licensures for financial advisors: 

• Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®) – The CFP certification is granted to professionals who prove their knowledge and skillsets in all things financial advising, including individual and business investments, taxes, insurance, wealth management, and growth strategy.
• Enrolled Agent (EA) – EAs hold the highest designation granted by the IRS, securing themselves as tax experts who can handle any tax service and represent their clients before the IRS in case of a cost-efficient tax strategy while still remaining compliant.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – The CPA license demonstrates a wide range of concept understanding and accounting skillsets in tax, accounting, business finances, reporting, and data management. By becoming a CPA, you set yourself up to grow a specialization in almost any area within accounting or finance.
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) – The CFA certification equips and certifies you as a trusted professional for investment analysis and portfolio management. 
   

What is an accountant? 

“Accountant” is a very general term used to describe a professional who deals with planning, managing, and reporting finances. Often, accountants work for firms as public accountants, handling the finances of many client organizations. Other times, accountants work on the internal staff of an organization and focus solely on that company’s financial wellbeing. 

Accountant tasks very broadly include, but aren’t limited to:² 

• Prepare financial documents and balance sheets
• Prepare and manage tax returns
• Work with auditors to ensure legal compliance
• Create budgets
• Store, manage, and report financial data
• Provide and review bookkeeping
• Review and improve accounting processes
• Provide financial advise
• Create financial forecasts
• Advise on financial decision-making 
   

How to build an accounting career

Like financial advisors, accountants can advance in their job positions and career specializations by earning professional certifications and licensures. 

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – The most important credential for public accountants, the CPA license opens job opportunities and legal authorization to perform services that you simply cannot offer as a public accounting professional without licensure.
• Enrolled Agent (EA) – Focusing solely on tax, becoming an EA sets you up for endless career growth as a tax professional.
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA) – If the CPA license is the most important credential for public accountants, the CMA certification is the gold standard for those who wish to pursue a career in internal accounting and financial management.
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) – If you want to specialize in internal auditing, there is no credential more useful than the CIA certification, which designates you as a top-tier internal auditor on a global scale. 

Financial advisor vs accountant 

A financial advisor works closely with his/her clients to create a strategy for the future, but is less focused on reporting and managing the client’s current financial situation. 

A financial advisor career will therefore be less focused on daily accounting tasks like bookkeeping and financial reporting, and more focused on analysis of market trends and tax law as it applies to each client’s finances and financial goals.

 Accountant vs financial advisor career paths 

Accountants can grow a career in any number of specializations—including financial consulting. Both accountants and financial advisors likely begin with a degree in accounting or finance, but grow their careers by earning certifications that specialize their knowledge and strengthen their resumes. 

Accountant vs financial advisor job titles may include, but are definitely not limited to: 

Accountant vs financial advisor career salaries 

Both accountant and financial advisor careers can be fulfilling and lucrative. In 2024, the medium annual salary for accounting professionals in the US was $81,680.³ For personal financial advisors, this same number was $102,140.⁴ 

That said, your salary and job title will depend on many factors, including your experience, professional certifications, industry, and location. Accounting and financial advising professionals can both earn well beyond 6-digit annual salaries as they grow in credentials and experience. 

Build your accountant or financial advisor career with Becker 

Whether you’re leaning toward an accounting or financial advisor career, Becker can help you achieve your goals. 

What’s a good place to start? By learning more about the CPA license in our FREE CPA Exam Guide and the EA credential in our FREE EA Exam guide, as tax expertise is essential to both these career paths. Find the best option to grow your career—and let Becker help you get there and go further! 

Get your FREE CPA Exam Guide

This comprehensive ebook contains everything you need to know about the CPA Exam, including the exam format, study tips, and practice questions!

Download now

Start your EA Exam prep with the information to succeed.  

Download our FREE EA Exam Guide ebook.

Download your free guide